MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — One police officer suffered injuries and a Monongalia County man is in police custody and facing three felony charges after a foot pursuit in Morgantown.
Stephen Earl Bennet, 30, of Westover, is accused of engaging in a physical altercation with a Morgantown Police officer while fleeing the scene of a reported domestic fight.
He is charged with possession of a controlled substance, battery on law enforcement officer, and fleeing and resisting arrest.
The incident began near 5:40 p.m. Wednesday following a police response for a domestic fight in progress on White Avenue in Morgantown.
When officers arrived on scene, police said Bennet ran. He was pursued onto nearby Brockway Avenue.
According to a press release from the Morgantown Police Department, Bennet, running on an elevated pathway, saw he was being chased by an officer below him on a different path. He is accused of jumping down from the elevated path, which caused both he and the officer to tumble down a hillside.
The officer struck his head on rocks at the foot of the hill, injuring his head.
The suspect continued to fight with the officer in an effort to flee the area, but was handcuffed after the struggle.
Both the officer and Bennet were transferred to local hospitals for treatment. The officer was treated at Mon General Hospital for head lacerations and then released.